The US Coast Guard recently offloaded over $96 million worth of cocaine in Florida following a series of successful drug busts in the Caribbean Sea. Three alleged smugglers are now awaiting federal prosecution for their crimes.
The crew members of the Coast Guard Cutter Forward created a human chain to unload 7,302 pounds of confiscated cocaine from the ship and onto pallets at Port Everglades, as stated in a government press release. By the end of the day, they had stacked countless blocks of the illicit drugs in towers reminiscent of Jenga, with a video provided by the agency showing their progress.
The Coast Guard, working in collaboration with the US Navy and the Royal Netherlands Navy, intercepted the drugs during three separate operations in international waters, according to the statement. Lt. Cmdr. Juan Ramirez, a staff attorney from Coast Guard District Seven, emphasized the importance of these combined drug interdiction efforts, stating that they demonstrate the effectiveness of the partnerships between the US, Dutch, and other international forces in combating the flow of illicit narcotics across the Caribbean.
Ramirez further stressed that the success of their joint efforts to save lives by reducing the availability of these drugs depends on cooperation with regional and international partners. Federal authorities will prosecute the three suspects, who remain unidentified at this time.
The Coast Guard’s operations in the Caribbean are conducted under the authority of its Seventh District, based in Miami. These successful drug busts serve as a testament to the ongoing commitment of the US and its international partners to tackle the challenges posed by drug smuggling and trafficking in the region.
